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« on: January 04, 2023, 20:49:31 pm »
Today, I set-to cleaning a little Ingersol Rand air-piloted shuttle valve used to control a small 1/2-ton pneumatic press. I've cleaned and repaired these things dozens of times.
But this time, I was greeted by GLOBS of black goo, as thick as HOT road tar, and blacker than anything I've ever seen -- WAY blacker than tar. It was blacker than the darkest printer's ink! And, I couldn't get it off of anything.
I tried mineral spirits, gasoline, acetone, and even plain engine oil. NOTHING touched it. I was covered with the stuff. It stains everything. I couldn't get it off the part or off of me. So, in a panic, I grabbed a squirt of GoJo hand cleaner.
That didn't get me exactly clean but it did tend to get most of the gunk off. So... a clue. I broke out a bottle of detergent spray surface cleaner. That did an even better job, but still not 'clean'. Then, some straight Greased Lightning, no dilution.
It cleaned everything nicely, except under my fingernails, and got all the smutch off the part, as well. So, now...
What the HECK is that goo? Have you ever seen it, dealt with it, identified it? A clue is that the O-rings on the valve's shuttle are NOT deteriorated. The shuttle was just stuck in this gunk.
Help me solve this puzzle, please. A clue is that Greased Lightning's main cleaning ingredient is plain-old LYE (sodium hydroxide). That would tend to indicate that the goo is of animal or vegetable origin, but I'm unaware of any such 'greases' that are completely insoluble in petroleum solvents.
Lloyd